The present invention relates to automatic transmission systems and, more particularly, to a high performance clutch pack assembly for a CHEVROLET POWERGLIDE (hereinafter “POWERGLIDE”) automatic transmission.
The popularity of the POWERGLIDE automatic transmission dates back to the 1950's and continues to the present date. Modifications to the stock POWERGLIDE are well known among high-performance and class racing enthusiasts where every advantage is required. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the term “high performance” commonly refers to land vehicle components having enhanced performance characteristics in comparison to the original equipment manufacture (hereinafter “OEM”) specifications. In the context of the present application, the term “high performance POWERGLIDE clutch pack assembly” refers to a clutch pack assembly having a higher torque capacity in comparison to the OEM clutch pack assembly utilized in the POWERGLIDE transmission.
Modifications to the clutch pack in the POWERGLIDE are aimed at increasing the so-called holding power of the clutch assembly. For the most part CHEVROLET original equipment manufacture used four friction disks (hereinafter “frictions”) in the OEM high clutch pack. Adding frictions increases the holding power of the clutch pack. The added friction surface area has the same effect as installing a larger diameter clutch in a manual transmission vehicle. Basically, the more power or vehicle weight involved, the larger the friction surface area required. Installing five frictions in the clutch over the stock four increases the friction surface area by 20 percent. Accordingly, installing eight frictions in a POWERGLIDE high clutch that originally had four increases the friction surface area and holding power by 100 percent.
The downside to the extra friction surface area is the increase in rotating mass. In the POWERGLIDE the high clutch frictions are spinning at input shaft speed when the transmission is in low gear. Consequently the increased number of frictions can affect performance.
Thus, the present invention has been developed to provide substantially increased friction surface area in the POWERGLIDE clutch with minimal increase to the rotating mass of the clutch assembly.